Quad-Cities prepare for 18-foot Mississippi River flood (2024)

Swollen after heavy rains in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the Mississippi River is expected to reach major flood stage in the Quad-Cities in the next 10 days.

At the Rock Island gauge, the river could reach 17.8 feet by Sunday and is likely to crest between 18 and 19 feet sometime on or before July 4, according to the National Weather Service.

Although Mississippi River towns avoided typical spring flooding from snowmelt, heavy rainfall north of the Quad-Cities is spurring a fast rise of the river.

That means River Drive in Davenport is expected to close beginning Wednesday, several riverfront parks will close, and downtown Davenport events like Red White and Boom are making alternate plans.

Davenport will set up an L-shaped line of sand-filled HESCO barriers between Brady Street and Bechtel Park. And Credit Island is closed to the public beginning Tuesday afternoon, as floodwaters typically rise above the causeway connecting to the island.

Davenport Assistant City Administrator and Public Works Director Nicole Gleason said rainfall floods are subject to storms, making them more unpredictable. Plans could change because of future rainfall north of the Quad-Cities that could change forecasts.

Gleason warned not to swim, wade or drive through floodwaters.

"I can't emphasize enough, if there is a sign saying a road is closed or a trail is closed, you can't see what's under that water," Gleason said. "There could be a hole. There could be other large debris that you can't see, and we really encourage people not to traverse through that flood water."

Bettendorf, Rock Island and East Moline are readying their low-lying areas with pumps and sandbags.

Expected impact on travel in Davenport

Davenport plans to set up sand-filled HESCO barriers at River Drive between Bechtel Park and Brady Street in an L-shaped configuration.

Gleason warned that with several construction projects on River Drive, detours may look a little different to motorists than in a typical flood.

For months at River Drive and Marquette Street, the city has been working on improving underground storm sewer to keep the intersection open longer during flood events.

The flood will force that project to pause, Gleason said, and crews plan to cover up the dug up ground for safety.

A second, further along, storm sewer project on River Drive between Third Street and Tremont Avenue is within weeks of finishing, said Robbin Dunn, communications and preparedness manager with Davenport Public Works. But because it's not yet completed, it can't yet provide the flood-fighting benefits of keeping River Drive open.

Special events

Sandbags available to impacted Davenport residents

Davenport will deliver sandbags to residents who would be impacted by flooding up to river stage 19 feet.

To request sand and sandbags, call 563-326-7923 between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Sand and sandbags will be scheduled for delivery based on availability and staffing, according to the city.

For residents of unincorporated Scott County, sand and sandbags are available at the Pleasant Valley Fire Station, Scott County Emergency Management said in an alert Friday.

Parks and other Davenport facilities

The Army Corps of Engineers also has closed recreation areas, including Grant River, Pleasant Creek, Thomson Causeway, Cattail Slough, Andalusia Slough, Clark's Ferry, Shady Creek, Blanchard Island, Kilpeck Landing, Ferry Landing, Fenway Landing Bear Creek, Canton Chute and John Hay. The closures are expected to remain in place through Independence Day.

The Buffalo Shores campground will close starting Friday.

Rock Island

Rock Island is placing water pump discharge hoses along the Rock Island portion of the riverfront bike path. Portions of the trail will be closed until the river stage falls below 16 feet.

Sunset Marina fuel dock will close and pump out service will be discontinued by the end of the week, the city said in a news release. Sunset Drive from 31st Avenue to the park shelter and Skafidas Parkway will also close by the end of the week.

Bettendorf

Bettendorf has begun taking sandbags to and communicating with residents on Bettendorf's eastern riverfront, near the Beacon Harbor Drive area.

Otherwise, pumps are in place, and water may reach into Leach Park, but City Administrator Decker Ploehn said based on flood predictions, the city probably won't need to set up its temporary wall.

But, Ploehn said, it only takes a few hours to do it if the forecasts end up predicting higher river levels than they do now.

Ploehn said rainfall floods typically rise and fall faster than snowfall floods, which means cities have less time to plan for them.

"In my experience, July floods are different than April floods," Ploehn said. "Usually, they're faster because snowfall floods and rainfall floods are different. You don't have the same planning time you get in a spring thaw event because its slower."

East Moline

Most of East Moline is protected from the river by a levee, but the city has been busy for about a month pumping out water from the Hereford Park area.

East Moline has been running flood pumps since May 30, a routine practice to keep ponding areas as low as possible. The city has four gates closed and is using three pumps to keep interior water levels low, said Joseph Miller, the GIS/CAD coordinator with East Moline.

"Our biggest threat is a large storm while we are pumping interior water," Miller wrote in an email to the Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus. "But we have the pumps all serviced, back-up generators on site already, and two additional generators being brought in. We are ready if the storms come."

Moline

At or around a 19-foot flood stage, the city of Moline may have to close parts of River Drive. But the river forecasts so far don't reach that stage.

"There is no need for flood protection for our River Drive residents and businesses until it reaches about what would be a record level," Graeme Jewell, Moline's municipal services operations manager wrote in an email. "So we will continue to monitor daily and react as needed but at this time we do not see a reason for concern. If by chance we receive locally heavy rainfall we will have some isolated areas of River Drive to put signs up or close temporarily until the storm lines can catch up."